Over recent years, corn has apart from being used as animal feed, has also been regarded as a material for light industry and is the most important material to produce bio-fuel.

To meet this demand, the Corn Research Institute under the Viet Nam  Academy of Agricultural Science recently successfully researched new corn varieties, contributing to improving output and quality of the plant.

Cross-bred corn varieties flourish

Statistics from the Corn Research Institute showed that current annual corn area in Viet Nam  is about 1.1 million ha, ranking second after rice. The plant is grown mostly in the Northern mountainous and midlands, the Red River Delta, North Central, Southeast and Central Highlands regions. Over recent years, the domestic demand for corn is quite large, about 5.5 to 6 million tonnes per year, while the actual corn output every year reaches only 4.6 million tonnes. As a result, every year Viet Nam  has to import more than one million tons of corn.

To improve this situation, the Corn Research Institute has successfully conducted research projects on many kinds of cross-bred corn varieties, along with new farming techniques. The new varieties including VN8960, LVN14, LVN61, LVN145, LVN885, LVN66, LVN25, SB09 – 9 , VN6 and LSB4 glutinous corn varieties, Hybrid Sweet corn 10 and 20 not only give high yield: 10-12 tonnes per ha, but are also resistant to pests and adaptable to the harsh climate conditions.

For example, the single hybrid VN8960 can stand the drought, with beautiful yellow grain and its yield can reach 10 tonnes in the intensive cultivation areas and 5-6 tonnes in dry areas.

These varieties were not only grown in many regions such as Cao Bang , Lang Son , Ha Giang , Lai Chau , Son La but were also favored in Laos and Cambodia. The single hybrid LVN66 can be cultivated in all three seasons: summer spring, spring and winter autumn with productivity reaching 12 tonnes per ha. Especially, Hybrid Sweet corn 10 can resist both hot and cold conditions 2 with productivity reaching 18-20 tonnes per ha.

High economic efficiency

The Corn Research Institute also said the Vietnamese corn varieties which were successfully studied and planted in Viet Nam  are not inferior to foreign single or double cross-bred varieties while their prices are cheaper, about 60 percent of the imports. The institute is currently supplying about 4,000 tonnes of corn seeds every year and its market share always accounts for over 40 percent of the country’s corn cultivation areas.

The biggest beneficiary is probably corn growers. Nong Van Man in Ea Sien Commune (Buon Ho Town , Dak Lak Province) said, under the guidance of the Corn Research Institute staff, his family piloted cultivation of the Vietnamese LVN66 variety on area of 1,500 sq.m and brought clear efficiency. Last season also on this area, Manh’s family planted green beans (Vigna radiata) which could only produced two quintals, earning VND4 million. However, with this new corn LVN66, his family harvested 1.5 tonnes of corn, earning VND6 million, half as much again as the value from growing green beans.

The price of LVN66 supplied by the Corn Research Institute is 75,000 VND per kg while that of the imports such as NK67 is higher at VND105,000 per kg. The LVN66 variety is suitable to soil conditions in Ea Sien Commune, adaptable and gives high yield. Therefore, the commune plans to replace 1,200 ha of the old corn varieties with LVN66.

(Source: Viet Nam Economic News)